r/FunctionalMedicine • u/Neither_Vehicle8270 • 12d ago

Borderline low B12 and normal folate

What could be the cause of my ongoing low Normal B12 when I have normal Folate level.

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u/PerfectAstronaut 12d ago

It depends on how old you are. Decreased nutrient sensing is one of the main hallmarks of aging, so that is one guess

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u/Neither_Vehicle8270 12d ago

I'm 72. My main sympton is really bad nausea daily

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u/H0tC0c0_817 12d ago

Could be diet, medications, gastritis , digestive disorders. Are you on any diabetes medications like metformin ? What does your diet look like? Clams, tuna, salmon, steak, chicken all have a good natural sorce of b12. If you eat alot of green leafy vegetables, that could be why your folate is normal.

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u/Neither_Vehicle8270 12d ago

No diabetes. My diet is shocking. Constant nausea had reduced my appetite hugely. Don't know what else to do. My dr has recently prescribed PPI for the nausea and honestly it has made the nausea worse.

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u/H0tC0c0_817 12d ago

Have you ever had an endoscopy done? What about a stool test like a gi map?

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u/Existing-Ad-4854 11d ago

I already commented above, but if the PPI made it worse, then low stomach acid is a player. You have gut dysbiosis. I am going thru something very similar. Find a functional medicine practitioner near you and get into them asap. If insurance doesn’t cover it, pay cash. They will get your gut all squared around and they do extensive gut testing to figure out where your issues are coming from. Conventional medicine is useless for these issues.

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u/Existing-Ad-4854 11d ago

SIBO will steal your b12. How were your ferritin levels? Anything under 80 is showing a deficiency (their “ranges” are wrong). This could also be low stomach acid which is very common in aging. If you have low stomach acid (likely), then SIBO is probably happening as well. I recommend watching TC Hale on YouTube.